Wordsmiths undeterred by precipitation

Journalist

The rain did nothing to deter people from queueing at the Sydney Writers' Festival in Walsh Bay on Thursday. Photo: Janie Barrett

Heavy rain through the night might have brought on "uhtceare" and powerful urges to ignore the alarm in favour of "floccilation", but the city's literary crowd ventured out nonetheless, filling many of Thursday's Sydney Writers Festival sessions to capacity.

Mark Forsyth, the bestselling English author of The Etymologicon and The Horologicon, delighted a damp but substantial gathering with his passion for dictionaries, history and arcane terms. Uhtceare, he explained, is an old English word meaning "anxiety experienced just before dawn" while to floccilate is to "clutch feverishly at the bedclothes". David Astle, who hosted the session, was equally informative: in Albania, there are about 17 words for moustache, he said.

Model turned writer Tara Moss and historian William Dalrymple crossed paths at the threshhold to the Sydney Theatre, Moss on her way in to talk about fashion blogging, Dalyrymple on his way to talk about the 1839 British invasion of Afghanistan.

Earlier in the day, Sydney Morning Herald journalists put aside feelings of envy to discuss all things newsworthy with the Australian-born managing editor of The New Yorker, Amelia Lester, who took the prestigious role when she was just 26 years old.

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This year's festival is artistic director Jemma Birrell's first, and she was relieved the weather hadn't spoilt her plans. "Everything is full; everything is packed," she said. "The rain can't stop people coming, thank God. It's perfect when you're cosy inside and listening to someone talking. So, apart from walking between venues and getting soaked feet, it's fine."

Last night's Sydney Opera House sessions, featuring Michael Sandel and Ruby Wax, were also sold out, Birrell said. "Both have an incredible hold on the audience. And they kept people engaged and positive."

Friday's festival highlights include novelist Claire Messud at the Sydney Theatre, Anna Krien on sex, power and sport in Australia, also at the Sydney Theatre, and poet and novelist Jackie Kay in conversation with 702 presenter Richard Fidler at the Pier 2.3 Club Stage.

The Sydney Morning Herald is proud to sponsor the Sydney Writers Festival.